The Legislature requested an analysis of a bullet train alignment between Vancouver, BC, and Portland with intermediate stops in Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, SeaTac, Tacoma, Olympia, and Vancouver, Washington. Lawmakers also asked for evaluation of a possible east-west extension across the Cascade Range to Eastern Washington.

Speaking to a conference of regional policy makers gathered Wednesday in Portland, Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith said his company will chip in an additional $50,000 to validate the idea.

“Why not a high speed train from Vancouver to Seattle to Portland? If we lived in Europe it would already be there,” Smith said.